Refrigerator



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo JAMES D. RICHARDSON, OF FRANKLIN, INDIANA.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,869, dated March 23, 1880,

Application filed April 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES D. RICHARDSON, of Franklin, in the county of Johnson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, of which the following is ade'scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists in the combination of ice chambers and doors thereof with each other to produce within the refrigerator constant currents and circulation of cold air, and so that when one compartment is opened to the outer air the other compartments shall be closed, to prevent the exit of cold air and the entrance of warm air from the outside.

The object of my invention is to obtain a more perfect preservation of meat and vegetables by means of refrigeration than has been heretofore done by the old methods, and to construct a cheap and economical refrigerator. I

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts, Figure l represents a top view of a refrigerator embodying my invention with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken horizontally at the top of the lower doors or windows. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken vertically. Fig. 4 is a cross'section taken vertically, and Fig. 5 is also a cross-section.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the outer box of the refrigerator, and A' is the cover. Ihe box A is divided into three main apartments, D, H, and G, with partitions B' BZ B4 B4 between them and the box proper. Some of the spaces B between said partitions and outer box are iilled with any ordinary nonconducting material, while some ofthe spaces are left open for the purpose of allowing counter-weights to operate in, as will be hereinafter described. At the rear side of the box A is an opening or doorway, in which operates a vertically-sliding door or window, I'. The sides of the frame in which the door or window I' operates extend from the base of the refrigerator to the top thereof, and may be provided with ribs fj', to it into corresponding grooves formed in the vertical sides of the door, thus forming guides for the door or window I' to operate on. Near the upper ends of each of the guide-posts f a hole is mortised through and a sheave, j", is inserted. To the top of the door or window I', at each side, are attached ropes or cords V. Said cords extend upward, passing over the sheavesj", and to their other ends, in the chambers B5 B5, are attached 'counterweights y', for the purpose of balancing the window or door I' and retaining it at any desired elevation.

Around the door-frame,ol1thc outside of the door I', are strips of rubber, o v, secured to the frame by the moldings w. Said rubber strips come in contact with the outer surface of the frame of the door or window I' and form an air-tight joint, the door I' being fitted loosely in the slides, so as to prevent the swelling of the door from making it bind in the frame.

The cover A' is provided with an opening, S', near its center and over the chamber D. In said openin is fitted a valve, S, having a cord, m, attached thereto, operating on the sheaves V V', located above the cover. The other end of the cord is provided with a weight, u, and said weight operates in the space over the sliding door I', low enough down to be slightly raised when the top of the door I' strikes it. By this means the chamber D is provided with a ventilator-t'. c., when the door Il is raised the weight u also is raised, causing the valve S to fall and open the passage S', so that the chamber D is ventilated until the door I isV closed, when the weight a is released, causing 'the valve S to close.

The rear chamber, D, is much larger than any of the other chambers, and at cach end, at a point above the door I', are attached cleats r r, on which is mounteda drippa11,F. In said pan is also mounted an ice-rack, K, said rack K and pan F occupying the greater portion of the upper part of said chamber, and the pan F is provided with a drip-pipe, R, for carrying off the surplus water. At one end of the refrigerator, on a level with the ice-rack K, is another door, I, fitted up and operated by cords and weights in the same manner as door I', except that in this case the door slides down to open it. The end of the ice-rack K nearest the door I2 is cut away, so that ice can be placed in the rack K through said door. This door I2 is also provided with rubber strips o and moldings w, to make air-tight joints,

IOO

while said door is loose enough in its slides to prevent binding, even if the door swells or warps.

The partition that separates the chamber D from the chambers H and G is provided with two openings or doorways similar in size to the door I in front. Said doorways or openings are provided with doors or windows OP, which also raise and lower in slides E E, which are attached to the partition inside ofthe chamber D. The bar d is also attached to said vertical slides or guides E, forming a brace, and may be provided with hooks, formingameans of hanging articles thereon inside of the chamber I). The front of the chamber G is also provided with a verticallyslidin g door or win dow, I, operatin g in slides and provided with counter-weights similar to that described in door I'. Near the center of the top of the door I is attached one end ot' a cord, i, Fig. 5, which passes up over the sheaves fj'f at the top of the chamber G and then down, and the other end is attached to the window or door O I). When the door I is closed, then the partitiondoor 0 I? is raised, thus permitting the cold air from the chamber D to enter the chamber G; but when the door I is raised, then the parf tition-door O l? is lowered, thus closing the aperture between the chambers and prevent ing the cold air from escapingfrom the chamber D or the warm air that enters the chamber G from entering the chamber D.

The chamber H is frequently used as a retail-chamber, and is provided with an ice-rack, H', and drip-pan H2, also located near the top of said chamber, and supported there by two cleats, o" i", said ice-rack occupying` about onehalioi' the width of said chamber, the other haltl being provided with a valve or door, T, that is hinged to the partition B2, and is connected with the vertically-sliding door I3 by the cord s, which operates over a sheave, /"4, Fig. 4, located near the top of said chamber, so as to open the door T when the door I3 is closed, thus permitting the cold air in said chamber to come down into the space below the ice-rack but shuttin g the same prevents warm air from entering` the upper part when the door I3 is opened. Said door I3 is connected with and operates a partition-door, O' P', in the partition between the chambers H and D, in the same manner as the door I operates the door O I), before described, the doors I and I3 having one common weight and pulleypfz, Operating on the cord in the space between the doors, as shown.

The lower part of the chamber H is provided with a tin or Zinc box, b, having a cover, c, that opens upward. Said chamber is designed to receive small articles, such as canned oysters, 85e. VAbove the chamber b are a series oi' folding shelves, r3, as shown.

I am aware that prior to the date of my invention refrigerators have been provided with a cooling-chamber, an o`set a hinged door, a`

connecting rope or chain, a slide, and a pulley, the door and slide being so connected'that when the door is raised or lowered upon its hinges the slide will move vertically up or down. whereby warm air is prevented from passing into another chamber when the door is raised, and therefore I do not claim said features, broadly; but I am not aware that any one has heretofore constructed a refrigerator in the manner shown in the accompanying drawings.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the door I', weight a, cord m, and valve S, as and for the purpose specied. i

2. In a refrigerator, the chamber H, provided with the vertical sliding door I3 and vertical sliding door 0 in the partition B, in combination with the ice-rack H', valve-door T, shelf r3, and chamber b, provided with the hinged cover a, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof' I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES D. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

E. O. Farini, D. F. SPEEs. 

